HYDERABAD: The Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown that resulted in social isolation appears to have dramatically increased the city's interest in adopting dogs.
The demand for adopting pets, especially dogs, has increased in the twin cities as more people have remained confined to their homes, according to a number of pet adoption organisations, including Blue Cross.
During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown period, dogs and cats have shown to be helpful in easing the loneliness and anxiety experienced by their owners. People who were confined to their houses during the lockdown and experienced emotional distress adopted pets to help them feel less lonely, said Aparna Rao, animal rights activist.
On the flip side, several of the pets that pet owners adopted during the early months of the Covid-19 outbreak were either returned or abandoned as the pandemic impact began to gradually fade. Even while the animal welfare organizations don't have specific figures, they did report a substantial increase in pet abandonment.
“In my opinion, adoption of pets happened more during the lockdown period as people were stuck at home. I feel post-Covid people have been abandoning their pets as they have become busy again and don't have time to care for them,” observed Aparna Rao.
According to some animal rights activists, many cats and dogs want affection, healthy food, and a place to call home just like humans do. They are actually vulnerable to man's avarice for obtaining them as gifts for their ostentation or position. Kennel owners in the city claimed that during the height of the pandemic, sales of pets, particularly dogs, had reached record levels. However, they lamented the fact that the dogs and their owners were forced to live in social isolation.
“This was a ticking time bomb and a disaster waiting to happen. I say this because puppy sales nationwide surpassed previous highs in 2020 and 2021. People purchased pets as they were confined to their homes. Sadly, the lockdown had the unintended consequence of scarcely allowing these pets to interact or socialise with other people or animals,” said Philip Butt of Commando Kennels.
Dogs are living, breathing creatures who require time, attention, affection, and socialisation. Simply feeding them is insufficient, said Philip Butt. “We have created a recipe for disaster when we combine this with first-time pet owners, getting dogs that are not a good fit for their temperaments, and not investing in training the animal. What has happened is sad. Could it have been avoided, yes. Is there enough awareness about it? Sadly, no,” he added.
